Confessions by the Rain
by The Italian Peach
Summary: [TATE, Oneshot] It's raining pretty hard outside. So why is Tony standing on Kate's corner without an umbrella?


I feel that I'm long overdue for an Anti-Twilight fic. Thus, this story was born.

Written in the classic Peach style. Some fluff, some humor, a whole lotta TATE.

Enjoy ;)

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Me no own.

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Tony DiNozzo had been labeled as one of those guys that will react on a gut instinct. Which was why he was standing on the corner of Kate's street in the pouring rain. He had a twinge in his gut that made him drive to Kate's apartment, chicken out right before ringing her doorbell, and run back onto the street to wait on the corner. In the rain. Without an umbrella. God, he could be such an idiot.

A car drove by, its wheels making a swish on the wet asphalt. It drove too close to the curb and splashed Tony with muddy water. He resisted the urge to flick off the driver. And he'd really liked this jacket too…

Glancing up at the sky, Tony debated what to do next. He was too wet to get back into his car with its leather seats, but he was too chicken to confront Kate. What would she say about his terrible secret?

_Tony was in the snack room. Investigation a crime scene took up quite a lot of energy. He grinned as he snatched the last doughnut from a box. It had been some guy's birthday. The guy wasn't on Gibbs's team, but really, who was going to know? Tony snickered softly as he wrapped his prize in a napkin and poured a cup of coffee for himself. Gibbs would've been disgusted. The coffee was more brown than black, and it was just way too watery. Ah well…_

_Raising the Styrofoam cup to his lips, Tony was about to take a sip when Kate stormed over and pushed the cup forcefully at him. Tony yelped in pain as hot coffee poured onto him._

_"What the fuck was that?" he demanded, glad that the coffee wasn't really that hot. But he was wearing a new white shirt, for heaven's sake!_

_Kate glared at him, her eyes watering. "You know exactly what that was for, you bastard!" she screeched before turning on her heel and stomping back to the bullpen._

Tony later learned from McGee that Kate had left immediately, fuming about a reason unknown to the MIT graduate.

The sad part was, Tony knew why she was pissed. She must've found out about his horrible, horrible secret. A secret even he was ashamed to have. Well, ashamed to some extent at least.

Another car drove by and doused Tony again, who, making up his mind, turned and shuffled slowly to Kate's door, making sure to get as wet and miserable as possible to evoke sympathy from her. Not that he really expected to get any from her. Not after what he'd done.

Tony could hear Kate peer through the peephole on her side of the door. "Tony?" she said, shocked, her voice beaten down by the wooden door.

Quickly unlatching it, Kate swung open the door to reveal a beaten down, soaked Tony. Before she could say anything, he opened his mouth and recited his rehearsed apology.

"Kate, I am so sorry for what I did. I know it was wrong. If you did it to me, I know I'd be hurt. It was wrong of me. I should treat you better, as you're my partner and we have to defend each other if we're threatened." He shifted uncomfortably. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for telling everyone in the office that you were sleeping with me."

There was a moment of silence. "WHAT?" Kate shouted. "YOU TOLD EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE THAT I WAS SLEEPING WITH YOU?"

Tony was taken back a step. Looking at Kate rather confused, he said, "I thought you already knew…I mean, the snack room thing…"

"I was mad at you for taking the last fricken doughnut!"

Oh man. Tony cursed himself for being one to act on instinct. "A doughnut? You were mad about a doughnut?"

Kate kicked his shin. "I was hungry, okay?" Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she asked, "Why?"

"What?"

"Why did you tell everyone I was sleeping with you?" Kate did everything in her power to stop from ripping Tony's hair out.

Eager to make up for his error, Tony quickly began to explain. "Do you remember when we went down to Richmond to investigate that Navy Lieutenant's murder? Well, when you bent down to take a picture, I noticed that some other guy from What's-his-face's team was staring at your ass."

Kate was just staring at Tony now. "And?"

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Well, I don't know why, but it made me so mad. I mean, seeing some other guy look at you. I didn't want your attention to go on him, so I asked him what he was looking at."

"He simply pointed to you and I nodded. Told him that I thought that you were hot. He agreed. Then I told him that you and I were sleeping together. You shoulda seen the look on his face!"

"When we got back to headquarters, the guy probably told everyone else and well…I didn't do anything to stop the claims." Tony looked at his feet. "I'm sorry."

Kate's expression had softened. "Did you really mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"When you said that I was hot."

Tony felt his face redden. "Um…yeah, I guess I did."

Kate nodded. There was an awkward silence before she invited him in for hot chocolate.  
"You're going to catch something, and I don't want that to happen." She tossed him some of her ex boyfriend's clothes to wear while she warmed up the milk.

In the kitchen, Kate watched her hands shake as she dumped the contents of a cocoa pouch into a ceramic mug. _He thinks I'm hot…Could that mean-? _Shaking her head, she reprimanded herself for such foolish thoughts. _Tony thinks all the woman in the world are hot. I'm just another one._ She carefully brought the saucepan of heated milk from the stove and poured it into the two waiting mugs.

Tony was already sitting on the couch when the hot chocolate was done. Kate set down a mug and he glanced up and nodded his thanks. She sat down opposite from him, and they simply watched each other sip at the cocoa.

Finally, Kate set down her mug. "Is 'hot' all you think of me?"

Tony looked at her, surprised. "Of course not."

"Then what?"

He shifted uncomfortably and twiddled his thumbs. "Um…why?"

Kate shrugged. "You said you felt jealous of the man staring at my butt. Why?"

Tony sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Never did he think he'd be confessing to Kate about how he felt. Glancing around, he tried desperately to change the subject. "Nice place you've got Katie."

Her eyes flashed in annoyance. "Don't call me Katie. Now answer my question."

There was no way out. Pulling his hand through his hair, he reluctantly started. "Well, I think you're really brave and stubborn. Which is not something I like in women."

Kate twitched.

"But I seem to like it a lot in you. I don't know why, but that just kind of draws me to you. Its works with your personality."

Tony glanced out the window. It was still raining. "That's what's so weird about you. You have all these qualities that I don't usually like in women, but when I see them in you, I can't help but feel turned on."

Kate smirked. "Really? So you think I'm hot, stubborn, and brave?"

"That's not all. I could go on all night listing everything I like about you."

Kate looked down at her near empty mug. "Thanks Tony. A woman can always use an ego boost." She stood and walked over to sit next to him. "I'd tell you what I like about you, but I don't want to inflate your ego."

Tony shifted away from her. "Kate. Those things I told you about…I don't know how to handle my feelings." He looked at his hands. "I-I think I'm falling in love with you."

Kate didn't look the least surprised. "I know. I'm falling for you too. I've been falling for you for a long, long time, and I think I just landed at the bottom of the great hole I fell through."

Tony brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I don't know what to say…"

Kate looked at him, her eyes fearful. "Say that you love me. Say that you won't use me. Say that I'm better than all those one night stands."

Tony didn't say a thing. He just leaned in and kissed her, and in that kiss, Kate got all her answers. _I do. I won't. You are.

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It was no longer raining in the morning. The birds were chirping sweetly outside and the air had that lingering smell of rain all over it. It was a beautiful day.

Kate Todd woke and blinked her eyes rapidly to clear the sleep from them. The events of the previous night flooded into her mind, but she did nothing but smile. Rolling over, she pressed her naked body against his, and whispered, "Good morning sunshine."

Tony smiled foolishly back at her. "I guess I won't have to go around and tell everyone that I'm actually not sleeping with Kate Todd."

Kate whacked him over the head.

**Fin

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